Officials of the Addis Abeba City Administration are advancing a series of ambitious urban development initiatives, aspiring to transform the city into a “smart city,” a vision championed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD). The structural development studies are slated for completion by the end of May.
The city’s authorities have temporarily banned issuing new building permits and land-related administrative services for the past month in districts such as Bole, Nifas Silk Laphto, Qirkos, and Yeka. It is part of a city-wide measure “to ensure that new constructions align with the city’s comprehensive development plans, avoiding disputes with upcoming projects.”
The initiative, guided by the city’s Plan & Development Commission under the leadership of Commissioner Dadi Wedajo, involves extensive collaboration with local universities. Civil Service and Addis Abeba universities have been tasked with studying corridor development and Local Development Plans (LDP), respectively, reflecting a growing trend of integrating academic expertise in urban planning.
A notable component of the large-scale planning effort is the corridor development project that stretches 89hct from the Atlas Hotel through Edna Mall and Adey Abeba Stadium along Namibia to Djibouti streets. Another significant area under study is the 61.2hct expanse from the Capital Hotel to the Lem Hotel along Haile Gebresilassie Road to Equatorial Guinea Street. The studies hope to reshape these corridors into more pedestrian-friendly and economically vibrant areas.
The LDPs, on the other hand, cover various areas of the city, including the 52hct zone in the neighbourhood where the African Union (Au) is headquartered and a 137hct land in Woreda 01 near the Jemo Three area. The plans could propose new urban solutions such as car-free neighbourhoods, designated parking areas, expanded pedestrian and bicycle lanes, and residential, commercial, and recreational zone integration.
“Such comprehensive planning could transform the city’s landscape to accommodate its burgeoning population while maintaining green spaces,’ said Yirsaw Zegeye, an urban planner from Bahir Dar University.
According to Yirsaw, while modernising urban areas with existing populations might be costlier in the short term, the long-term benefits of well-planned urban environments far outweigh these initial costs.
